Lawton Tubes embraces sustainability with copper pipe that’s 100% recyclable!
In accordance with ISO EN 14021, our domestic plumbing copper pipe is now made from 100% recycled copper!*Copper is one of the most useful metals in existence and is perfect for use in plumbing. At Lawton Tubes, we have made it our mission, not only to provide the best quality copper pipe but also to ensure we do our part to bring about a sustainable future.
The natural metal, which is mined and used without complex processing, is abundant in the Earth’s crust and accounts for 0.0068% of its composition (acechemistry.co.uk), which is actually huge.
There’s 2.8 billion metric tons of the stuff!
So, what’s this got to do with plumbing?
Because of its antimicrobial properties, malleability, and corrosion resistance, copper is perfect for use as a means to distribute water.
In recent decades, due to its cheapness, plastic has been used in many plumbing pipes and appliances, but it has become all too apparent that the environmental impact of mass-produced plastic is substantial. There is a great need to look for more sustainable materials to use in every industry, and we at Lawton Tubes are proud to be able to say our copper pipes are 100% recycled.
New builds in the UK are often constructed with cost at the forefront of the decision-making process over sustainability and product life. By using our recycled copper to create plumbing systems, you’ll ensure that they’ll last the test of time and are environmentally sound. Using Lawton Tubes for your sustainable builds is literally win-win!
And with new legislation around sustainability ratings being introduced in the UK in the not-too-distant future, using our recycled plumbing copper pipe is a great way to boost the sustainability of builds going forward.
Is plastic really that bad?
Yes, it kind of is.
The main problems are that plastic comes from petroleum, which is an unsustainable resource and the refinement of plastic accounts for an estimated 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions added to the atmosphere every year (statista.com)!
So, quite a large amount – 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production alone (our world in data). Compare that to the 0.2% produced from copper mining (carbonchain), and it becomes pretty clear why plastic is not as suitable a material for mass production as we once thought.
Add to that the fact that it can take up to hundreds of years for plastic to degrade and even then, it’s not gone, it’s just disintegrated into smaller pieces of plastic that disrupt the natural processes of waste recycling and habitation all over the world.
Obviously, mining copper is a massive industry and still produces greenhouse gas, much less than plastic but still a vast amount. By using recycled copper, you lower your carbon footprint even further.
| Copper | Plastic |
| Lifespan of 70-80 years | Lifespan of 25-50 years |
| Production causes 0.2% of global greenhouse emissions | Production causes 3.4% of global greenhouse emissions |
| 100% recyclable | Only 5% of plastic recycled |
| Retains value after use | No value after use |
How is copper recycled?
Copper that’s already recycled is much better for the environment compared to mining and processing of the raw material. 80% of all copper ever mined is still in use today (Forbes), so there is an ample amount to be reused as many times as we need.
Copper scrap is processed
Plastic wire coating removed; metals extracted through magnetism.
Smelting occurs
Copper is melted down into pellets which is then reformed into ingots.
Mass balance methodology
Only as much pipe is produced as the amount of granulate 1/A is available.
It comes down to this: there is no difference in quality between recycled copper and mined copper.
How is copper able to be recycled infinitely?
It sounds bizarre; how can something be infinitely recyclable? It feels counterintuitive but it’s not as impossible as you might think. As an elemental metal, copper does not need to be processed into other materials or alloys for us to gain its main benefits. Even if the manufacturing process is imperfect, copper remains 100% recyclable. Relative to the costs of recycling other materials such as plastic, which is cost-prohibitive to recycle, recycling copper and other metals runs at a fraction of the cost.
- Recycled copper scrap is externally sourced
- Copper can be melted and reformed infinitely, unlike plastics
- Copper is not prone to corrosion or degradation in water like aluminium or iron
Use Lawton Tubes amazing range of copper pipe for long-lasting quality and sustainability on your builds. Bring your construction projects into a sustainable future by using our 100% recycled copper pipe. Take a look at our comprehensive range of plumbing copper pipes for your next project, all of which is made from 100% recycled copper! The sustainability of copper is quite literally, infinite.
*Copper plumbing tube is only 100% recycled on our 15-28mm sizes inclusive. Recycled in accordance to EN ISO 14021.
